First of all, to celebrate ourselves as women let’s agree not to compare ourselves to boys and their rituals of becoming men. So often, when we as women begin any subject that centers around our feminine self, we start by comparing it to the male self. Men don’t compare their journey to manhood with a comparison to us, and we in turn should not compare our journey to womanhood with them. In order to completely appreciate the men in our lives we must see ourselves as separate, unique, and whole. It isn’t with hostility that we refuse to make the comparison, but with respect. To say the rituals of men are better or worse than the rituals of women, is to dismiss the importance of both.

We have moved into true equality in the human race when we venture to stop being… like… men. We need to celebrate being a woman and everything that is unique about being totally female. Yes, we can do anything. That has never been the question, at least not with us. The question is do we want to do everything all at the same time? So often we are running in so many directions trying to prove ourselves, we lose track of all our wonderful unique abilities that are inherent with being women. We are equal. That issue is no longer in question, so let’s resist the need to keep answering it. Let’s be and celebrate, in every respect, in every way, without apology, and certainly without comparison…women!

Let the celebration begin. We are women hear us roar…and laugh, and giggle, and tell the world how amazing it looks from our point of view. We are instinctive, we are nurturers, and we are intelligent. We are unafraid of our creativity and how it changes the world around us. Yes, we examine and discuss our feelings, knowing that with heart-felt communication we improve the quality of relationships and inspire harmony.

From girlhood to womanhood, we celebrate the many stages of the female journey. We have been the young adventurer, the mother and nurturer, the teacher, the crone. Together we fill the missing gaps to help each other.

Women need women. Our friendships allow us to celebrate all aspects of our feminine nature and to uncover our hidden desires. We support and encourage each other on our journey to become all that we dream of becoming. Together we dare each other to strive for more in ways that don’t threaten our sense of self. Women together become better women.

Our young women venture into territories once forbidden but are now commonplace. They learn to fix cars, build houses, excel in science, and follow their true dreams whatever they might be without restriction. Our young girls are unafraid to be smart and assertive in their choices. They can adopt more traditional roles or venture into careers that were once reserved just for men. They can follow their intuitive life journey without censure.

As mothers we carry our babies first within us and then in our arms creating life long bonds that mold future generations. It is no small thing to mother a child into an independent adult. It is the greatest celebration of living to mold a life and we understand the worth of this role in society. We have grown past the need to apologize for our choice to raise children. We celebrate and embrace this phase of our living as significant and worthwhile.

We can choose to be a force in the business world or a force in our world as a family. We can also choose to do both, sometimes at the same time and sometimes one at a time. It is an important transition to allow us the option and to make those choices independent of our own situation and not at the beckoning of societal pressure. We are equal as a human identity, and equal together as women.

Young women should search for their wise crone. Society has misused the term crone, making it into something old and unwanted. In ancient times the crone was revered and honored deeply for her wisdom. Becoming a crone is a deeply meaningful use of our age and experience.

The Red Hat Society is a group of women 50 years and older that gather to celebrate their age, their lives, and their experiences. They wear red and purple hats, and are distinctive as a group. They dare to be noticed. This is the absolute celebration of the crone and is wildly popular. Women want an excuse to let go of the glossy magazine version of beautiful to embrace a true sense of identity. When young women seek out a crone in their journey to full womanhood, they enrich their journey by availing themselves of wisdom they have not yet earned.

In turn as older women we embrace and assist girls in their quest to become women. We experience the fullness of passing on our wisdom, helping them to learn from our experiences. It is significant to share time with them. It enriches our age.

We are comfortable in our own bodies, giving up the unrealistic version of the media for the beauty of our true female form. Commercials have bended to our insistence to show us as real people, not glossy paper dolls. Products are celebrating our aging process instead of diminishing us with the insistence of youth. The media that sought to devalue us is now changing to embrace all the stages of womanhood. We have been heard and the evolution is taking place right before our hard earned wrinkled eyes. We can now smile honestly at the age of 20 or the age of 60. Our eyes crinkle to frame our smiles or in youth we smile with smooth, inexperienced skin. We are a celebration of all that we are at every age.

Most importantly together we heal each other. We are sensitive by nature, we are strong in our worth, and when injured by a reckless world, we gather to heal one another. That is the greatest of our celebrations, to reach out and heal with love and uninhibited compassion. It is our natural reaction to pain.

We share our stories and celebrate one another to truly appreciate all aspects of being a woman. We understand that our journeys are both the same and completely unique. By sharing we experience the fullness of womanhood. We are complete. There is nothing small about who we are and what we are becoming as we journey from girl to woman.

In the next moments of your female life notice the women around you. The woman as crone, the woman as mother, the girl in transition to womanhood, the businesswoman, the caregiver, the healer, and stop to cheer our process and our contribution in the world right this minute.

We don’t have to be more. We don’t have to be less. We can just be who we are, where we are in life. We have a voice and we have a choice in the development of our womanhood. We are fearless and strong, we are patient and gentle, we are smart. We influence the world for good. One by one, we come together to celebrate ourselves as women. And as a community we celebrate the world.

Women’s Health: How Much do you Know?

As a woman, your health concerns are as unique as your body. How you take care of yourself has a huge impact on your future, affecting everything from your ability to have children to your risk of heart disease. There's no substitute for good health, and when it's gone, it's often gone for good. Don't let it pass you by. Test your smarts with this women's health quiz.